Middle School Whomps!
by AnimationNut
Summary: The idea middle school will be a dream come true turns into a nightmare when Principal Finicky takes charge. The Recess Gang won't stand for it, but they soon realize this will be their toughest challenge yet.
1. Off to a Bad Start

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Off to a Bad Start**

TJ Detweiler stood in front of his green backpack, hands on his hips and dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully. His new binders were filled with crisp paper and his new pencil case was nearly overflowing with shiny new pens and pure white erasers. He shuffled his new red and white sneakers against the hardwood floor and grinned at the satisfying squeak.

He spun on his heel and faced the mirror hung up on his closet door. The reflection grinning back at him was dressed in his usual baggy jeans. But keeping with his belief that middle school was a time for a new start, he discarded his usual green jacket and white t-shirt for a simple black shirt with a forest green stripe.

His red baseball cap, however, stayed firmly over his shaggy brown hair. There were just some things you couldn't change.

"TJ!" His mother hollered. "Hurry up and eat your breakfast! You don't want to be late for your first day of middle school!"

"Coming!" TJ grabbed his backpack and jogged down the stairs. He slid into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of toast from the plate on the table.

Teresa Detweiler clasped her hands together. "Oh, Theodore! You've grown up so fast! Just think, in a few years you'll be off to high school, leaving the house and-"

"Whoa!" TJ exclaimed. "I haven't even gotten through my first day yet!"

"Oh, I know. Have a good day sweetie."

TJ stuffed the toast in his mouth and shot out the front door. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze floating through the air. He swallowed his breakfast and let out a contented sigh. "This is gonna be tender."

"Teej!"

The twelve-year old boy glanced up and grinned when he spotted his best friend (and second-in-command of their 'Recess Gang') Ashley Spinelli jog up to him. The tough girl had ditched her red dress and leggings for jeans and a red shirt with billowing sleeves. She still wore her favourite boots and orange beanie, which was tucked over her short and spiky black hair.

"Are you ready for two of the best years ever?" Spinelli asked eagerly, falling into step beside them as they made their way towards the middle school.

"Every year has been the best," TJ pointed out. "But I think we can safely assume that middle school will be the best experience ever."

"I can't wait to get our schedules." Spinelli bounced on her toes. "It's so cool that Thaddeus T. Middle School has an Auto Shop!"

Their middle school orientation had been during the summer. Gus' dad had wanted his son to enrol at the local military academy, but he soon relented and allowed his son to go to the public middle school when he saw how devastated Gus was to be separated from his best friends. Of course, TJ may have had a hand in helping the general change his mind.

The six members of the Recess Gang (dubbed by their fellow classmates and even a few teachers) were hoping to get a few classes together.

"I'm totally ready for Public Speaking." TJ cracked his knuckles. "With all the speeches I've done at Third Street, it'll be a breeze!"

TJ's speeches had become something of a legend at Third Street School. Indeed, he had been the kid to stand up for his fellow peers and demand justice and fairness. He proved that one kid truly can make a difference. It also helped that he had the passion, charisma and smooth-talking skills needed to make decent and moving speeches.

Spinelli let out a sigh. "I'm excited for middle school and all, but I'm gonna miss Third Street...we had a lot of good times at that place."

"Like saving summer vacation," TJ let out a reminiscent sigh. "I wonder if Principal Prickly will ever fulfil his dream of becoming a middle school principal."

Spinelli snorted. "I don't miss the guy _that _much; only enough to pop in for a visit once in a while."

The two friends fell into silence when they approached the street that was situated across from the middle school. They froze on the curb and craned their necks back to admire it.

The old brick building was four stories high with many wide windows. A garden surrounded the edge of the school and there were ivy vines crawling up the building like snakes. There was a courtyard at the back of the school with stone tables and tall oak trees.

"Guys!" A familiar voiced called out to them.

Gus Griswald beamed at them from across the street. His blonde hair was still in its buzz cut, but he now wore a dark green sweater and cargo pants instead of his usual neat attire. The cuffs of his pants actually touched his new black and red sneakers!

"Gus!" TJ grinned and the two jogged across the street. "Are you ready?"

"I sure hope so. I'm feeling a lot better now that I found out Gellman got sent to the military academy I was supposed to go to." Gus shuddered. "Man that was a close call."

Spinelli laughed. "He'd been scared of you since that whole fortune cookie/trap incident, remember?"

"I don't want to take any chances." Gus said firmly. "Besides, I'm here with you guys!"

"What elective did you take again?" TJ asked curiously.

"Leadership. The class teaches on how to handle stressful situations, take charge and basically on how to become a leader. My dad wanted this more than I did...but who knows?"

A dark red van pulled up to the curb and Vince LaSalle hopped out. He shouted something to the person driving before slamming the car door and hurrying over to his friends. He still looked like a jock with his blue basketball sneakers, light green and yellow hoodie and dark green shorts. "Hey guys!"

"You look ready to dominate the basketball court and the soccer field." TJ grinned and high-fived him.

"You know it." Vince adjusted the yellow sweat bands on his wrists. "So, when does the assembly for the newbies start?"

Gus checked his watch. "In about twenty minutes. We're still waiting for Gretchen and Mikey."

Just as the words left his mouth a couple buses pulled up to the curb. The kids a year their senor filed out, with piercings on their noses and lips-even the guys had them! Gus gulped as he watched a rather large boy lumber into the school, a skull ring in his eyebrow and his hair green.

Some other kids they knew from Third Street filed out as well. The Diggers looked out of place in plaid shirts and pristine jeans, but TJ knew the two of them had collapsible shovels somewhere in their bags.

"So, where's the playground in this joint?" Spinelli asked suddenly. "I mean, they didn't tell us our recess times or show us where it is."

TJ shrugged. "We can always ask Lawson if we have to."

Spinelli wrinkled her nose at the mention of the arrogant bully but didn't say anything.

"There they are!" Vince exclaimed. Gretchen Grundler and Mikey Blumberg moved towards them.

Gretchen's hair was tied tightly in a braid. She wore a plaid skirt and white stockings and black Mary Janes. She wore a crisp white blouse with pearl buttons. She was the picture-perfect school girl.

"You look ready to hit the library." Spinelli smirked and looked at the only other female member of the group.

Gretchen frowned. "I am very eager to visit our new library. The books here ought to be much more academic than the ones at Third Street."

"What a glorious day!" Mikey cried out. He looked pretty spiffy in his new jeans and white sweater.

"The gang's all here." TJ clapped his hands together. "Alright guys; this isn't elementary school. That means we have new teachers to study and a principal to win over. I want you all to come to me by the end of the day with notes on every teacher you have. If more than one of us is in the same class then one note will suffice. We need to know who we're dealing with and who our future enemies might be."

"Teej, we're only going to be here for two years before we go to Thaddeus Senior High." Vince pointed out.

"Two years can be a long time and I want to be prepared." TJ crossed his arms. "I want to know who's the Finster; the tough, no-nonsense and harsh disciplinary. I want to know who the Prickly is; gruff, stern and fair. I want to know who the Hank is; kid-lover and good guy. I want to know the Grotke and the Lemon!"

His five friends saluted him. "Yes sir!"

"Then let's head off!"

The six friends entered Thaddeus T. Middle School. The hallways were wide with gleaming lockers on either side. Posters and artwork were tapped to the walls, advertising different clubs. The seventh graders followed the signs directing them to the auditorium, where they would get their 'welcome' speech.

They settled into the plush seats at the very back. They observed their fellow peers as they started to straggle in. The Ashleys were dressed in their usual designer skirts and blouses. Swinger Girl had discarded her pilot hat and goggles and looked uncomfortable in jeans. Upside Down Girl was actually right-side up, but her pigtails still stuck up.

"This must be so weird for them," Vince whispered. "They probably can't wait till recess."

The lights dimmed and Vince stopped talking. The curtains pulled aside to reveal not the plump, jovial man they had met briefly over orientation, but a skinny, pale man with cold black eyes.

"Hello. I am Principal Finicky. I will be replacing Principal Hartman while he recovers from a rather nasty surgery. I won't go into the details."

He paced back and forth across the stage. "As I have already told the elder students, I will not be as lenient as Hartman. If you are late to class you will receive a detention. If you act out you will receive detention. If you fail to complete your homework you receive a detention. If you litter you will receive detention. If you fight or skip class or deface property you will receive detention. Collect more than five detentions and you will be expelled."

Finicky turned on his heel to face the stunned students. "This is not elementary school. I will not hold your hand or feel sorry for you. I will not give exceptions in any case. If you are sick, I will require a doctor's note. Don't even think about trying to forge one; I will know."

"I intend to turn this school into one of the best middle schools in the country. It is currently numbered dead last. I _am _going to change that."

Finicky studied them all with critical eyes. "You will receive your schedules when you walk out this door. Today will be the only day where you are allowed to be late. After that, I expect you to know this school like the back of your hand."

"I think I found the Finster," Gretchen whispered nervously.

"Forget that; I actually prefer Finster than him!" Gus hissed.

"Friends, let's calm down! Surely we cannot judge him so quickly." Mikey soothed.

"Any questions?" Finicky barked sharply.

A slow, timid hand rose in the air. Finicky nodded curtly at Swinger Girl. "Sir? When is recess?"

Finicky looked at her in disgust. "Recess is for children; there is _no _such thing as recess at middle school. Dismissed."

TJ gaped in horror. "No...recess?"

The best two years just turned into the _worst _two years.

**I apologize if my concept of middle school is not accurate. I have never attended middle school and do not have one where I live :P Since Third Street goes up to the sixth grade, I figure they only have to attend middle school for grade seven and eight.**

**I hope no one is OOC.**

**I appreciate reviews, but not flames :)**


	2. Enemies Born

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Enemies Born**

Spinelli clutched the white sheet of paper she had just been handed and gritted her teeth. She stormed down the hallway blindly before someone grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back.

"Chill out, Spin!" Vince ordered. "I know this whomps, but-"

"This more than whomps!" Spinelli howled. "How come no one told us middle school didn't have recess?"

"They wanted to shield our fragile hearts from the crushing disappointment." Mikey said solemnly.

The six leaned against the wall in silence, schedules held in their hands as they brooded. Finally, TJ spoke. "Come on you guys! We can't let this ruin the middle school experience. We'll get through today, and if we don't like this no recess thing, then maybe we can talk to Finicky about it."

Gus shivered. "That guy doesn't look like someone who will listen to our demands."

"Requests," TJ corrected. "We'll request a recess and if he refuses then we'll try a higher power."

His friends looked doubtful but they nodded. "Great! Besides, we have lunch to hang out in the cafeteria or the courtyard. We can make our own recess if we have to. Now schedules out and opened!"

Everyone opened up their white sheets of paper and scanned them before they all held their sheets in the middle and compared.

"I got math with Gretch!" Spinelli cheered. "Awesome!"

"I got science with Vince and Gus!" TJ high-fived both of them. "Cutting open frogs, here we come!"

Gus shuddered. "I'll leave that to you guys."

"I shall be able to share the experience of literature with you Spinelli!" Mikey said happily. Spinelli cast a quick glance at both their schedules in order to understand he was talking about English class.

"Sweet, you can help me out with the poetry stuff."

TJ sighed with relief when he discovered they all had the same lunch. "We'll have to tough out our electives alone, but I don't it'll be too bad."

"I suppose we ought to start finding our classes," Gus said nervously.

"I concur." Gretchen adjusted her large spectacles and peered at her schedule. "Shall we start the search for our History class, Vince?"

"How hard can it be?" Vince grinned and they all set off with their hopes renewed.

...

"I think Vince jinxed us," Spinelli whispered to TJ as they stared at their Spanish teacher. Miss Callow was a thin woman with sharp blue eyes and a pale face. Grey hair curled around her wrinkled face and her pointed nose crinkled as she studied them all, her bony fingers tapping against her wooden desk.

"Looks aren't everything." TJ whispered back, trying to keep some hope alive.

The bell rang and a few stragglers rushed in. Callow slammed the door shut and started to pace up and down the aisles between their desks. "I'm going to make the class rules absolutely clear; if you backtalk you get a detention. I don't tolerate cheating or plagiarism. If I find out that you've been using means other than a Spanish-English dictionary in my class then you'll have detention with _me_. Once that bell rings all talking stops. You may speak to answer my questions or to ask a question. When you speak to me you will speak in Spanish."

Spinelli shot TJ a disbelieving look. This place wasn't a middle school; it was a torture chamber!

TJ shrugged feebly and rubbed his forehead. Were all teachers going to be like this?

...

Vince and Gretchen were having more luck. Miss Daisy was laid-backed and easy going. Her voice was soft and she was pretty funny. She sat on her desk with crossed legs and surveyed them with bright blue eyes. "So you're the new fishies in the pond, huh? Not a bad looking bunch."

The class giggled. Daisy smiled. "Alright, before you get to comfortable I'm going to review the rules before you all space out. No horse play and no swearing. Don't talk when I talk or else I'll throw chalk at you. I hate marking so I'll try to give as little homework as possible."

"Do you think Finicky made a mistake when he hired her?" Vince whispered to Gretchen. "She's way too cool-hey!" He brushed the chalk mark off his cheek and flushed when Daisy stared at him.

"It's only been five minutes and you're already trying to pull my chains. I can see you're going to be a rowdy one."

Gretchen giggled and Vince scowled at her. "Just start taking the notes TJ wants." He muttered.

...

"How are we supposed to take notes and run at the same time?" Gus panted as he and Mikey jogged around the perimeter of the gym along with the other boys. Sweat dripped down their faces and their shirts stuck to their chests.

"We can take mental notes." Mikey suggested as he kept pace with the smaller boy.

A sharp whistle blast made Gus cringe. "Alright, but you better take them. I always forget my mental notes."

"GRISWALD! LESS TALKING AND MORE RUNNING!" Coach Judson snapped. Gus groaned and tried to pick up the pace. If he wasn't a military brat, then this would be a lot more difficult.

...

"What do we have?" TJ asked as they all convened at one of the stone tables in the courtyard. It was a nice day out and TJ decided to make the best of it before the cold weather came. Besides, if this was the only opportunity they would ever get to hang outside, they were going to make the most of it.

"Coach Judson is alright," Gus muttered. "He pushes everyone really hard, though."

"Miss Daisy is basically like Grotke, but more sarcastic." Vince took a large bite out of his cheese sandwich.

"Miss Callow is someone you don't want to cross." Spinelli scowled down at her pudding. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to go a whole semester without getting at least a few detentions from her."

"We'll deal with it." TJ promised. They ran through the rest of the teachers they had and soon came to a conclusion that the only teachers that they would have to be careful around were Miss Callow and Principal Finicky.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I wish Prickly would transfer here." Vince cast a glance around the spacious courtyard and winced at their fellow peers. Swinger Girl walked around like a zombie and Upside Girl was shaking violently. Neither had gone so long with swinging or hanging upside down before.

"How come no other juniors are as bothered by this no recess thing?" Spinelli demanded. True, it seemed only the kids from Third Street were put out by their removal of freedom.

TJ shrugged. "I guess it didn't mean as much to them as it does to us. I told you guys not to worry about it. After school I'll head on down to Finicky's office and have a chat with him. I'll meet you guys at Kelso's with the news, alright?"

"Oh TJ, how brave you are to defend what is right and true to all youth!" Mikey admired. TJ waved him off with an easy smile.

"I'll bet this guy is just like Prickly; all bark and no bite." TJ had become a legend at his elementary school, and he was determined to continue the legacy throughout his educative career.

...

TJ took a deep breath outside Principal Finicky's office door. His hand twitched by his side and he reluctantly identified this as nervousness, an emotion he wasn't particularly accustomed to. But he would admit that his new principal made him uncomfortable. After all, his whole 'receive five detentions and you get expelled' rule did not settle with TJ, who had gotten at least twenty time (if not more) that amount when he was at Third Street.

"Come on, Detweiler." TJ scolded. "You saved summer vacation and faced White _twice_! You can do this."

Slightly more confident after his self-pep talk, he lifted his hand and rapped on the wooden door three times. There was an impatient growl from behind and a curt, "Come in."

TJ opened the door and entered the immaculate office. It was wide with bookshelves on both sides of the room. Behind his desk was a large filing cabinet with sturdy locks. The pale man sat behind his large desk and stared at him. TJ shut the door behind him and sat down on one of the hard wooden chairs. "Hello, sir. I'm-"

"I know who you are." Finicky interrupted. "What do you want, Detweiler? I'm a very busy man."

TJ shifted in the chair. "Well sir, my friends and I were a bit surprised when you told us middle school doesn't have recess, and I was wondering if it was possible to reconsider that."

"Are you asking me to instate recess at Thaddeus T. Middle School?" Finicky asked in disbelief. Who did this child think he is?

"I am, sir. So, is it possible?" TJ eyed the man expectantly, completely prepared to go to the Board of Education to make his plea if need be.

Finicky rose from his leather swivel chair and towered over the twelve-year old boy. His eyes were cold and hard and TJ found himself shrinking against the stiff backing of the chair he was currently trapped in. "Recess is a waste of time, Detweiler. It keeps children distracted, away from their studies and therefore their academic performance drops. I am going to make this school top in the country, Detweiler. And nothing is going to stop me."

Having heard this 'recess is bad' speech before, TJ just simmered silently until he was through. "With all due respect sir, recess isn't bad at all. It keeps us from being restless in the classrooms from too much pent-up energy. It keeps our brains alert and active."

"I know what you're up to, Detweiler." Finicky said in a deadly whisper. "You figured you would come here, make you demands and I would agree to them. Now that I'm not, you and your little friends are going to plan a rebellion." Before TJ could suggest that perhaps he was being a bit paranoid, the skinny man turned on his heel and stalked towards the large metal filing cabinets. He removed a key from his pocket and twisted it into one of the locks. He rummaged through the beige file folders until he removed the desired one.

TJ jumped a bit as the file was thrown onto the desk and landed in front of him. The boy gulped nervously as he stared at the large block letters across the top; Theodore Jasper Detweiler. _This can't be good..._

"I know all about you and your little gang of miscreants." Finicky hissed, lowering himself back into his chair facing the boy.

TJ's dark eyes flashed. "My friends are not miscreants! They're good people who defend the rights of kids and even adults! That's what we do. We don't _try _to make trouble."

"I beg to differ." Finicky sneered and tapped his index finger on the offending folder. "The lot of you have had more than your fair share of detentions. You've destroyed a statue, broke into the school during summer vacation, refused to go to school until your demands were met and countless other offenses."

"But-!" TJ tried to protest.

"If I were Principal Hartman, you would have me wrapped around your finger. But I'm not. I'm not going to listen to child like your other teachers did. I'm not going to have my school run by a boy like that Prickly allowed to happen."

"Principal Prickly is a great man!" TJ defended. "And if you'll be lucky if you turn out to be half as good a person as he is!"

As soon as the words left his mouth he knew he crossed the line. Finicky's eyes burned with fury and his knuckles whitened. "Detention, Detweiler. And if I'm lucky you'll receive four more before this month is through. Then I'll be rid of you and you're little gang will be useless without you."

Biting words that wanted to break free were swallowed back. TJ was on thin ice already, so he simply got up, lifted his chin definitely and met Finicky's cold black eyes with a challenging glare of his own. Then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the office, the threat of war on the horizon.

**I already have a few ideas that will lead to the breaking point, like uniforms, an increased homework load and some military training to improve fitness scores. If you have ideas, feel free to share them.**


	3. The Good Old Days

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**The Good Old Days**

TJ sighed heavily as he trudged down the sidewalk. It was only the first day of school and he had already gotten a detention. He was now enemies with his principal and he now realized that going to the Board would accomplish nothing, since Mr. White would immediately dismiss any suggestion he came up with. Ever since his whole 'never going to school again' stunt White had tightened his grip on the Board of Education members and refused to be beaten by a child again.

"This whomps!" TJ exploded, swinging his foot back and violently kicking a loose chunk of cement. It sailed into the air, across the street, over the chain-linked fence and smashed through the window of one of the cars parked on the other side. TJ gulped and nervously glanced at the familiar brick building of Third Street School. "Man..."

After a moment of debate TJ decided that just running away from the scene would be the wrong thing to do. With a groan the twelve-year old boy entered the school yard and paused, his dark eyes taking in Old Rusty, the swing sets, the Ashley's clubhouse (now belonging to the Tylers) and the faded chalk lines of hopscotch and four-square. The playground held so many memories for TJ and he realized that he didn't even know how important they were to him until they were taken away.

"What are doing loitering on school property, hoodlum?"

TJ never thought he'd be glad to hear the sharp voice of Muriel P. Finster. The brown haired boy turned around and grinned charmingly. "Hey, Muriel, miss me?"

Miss Finster stood on the stone steps and crossed her arms. "It's Miss Finster to you, Detweiler.

"Actually, since I don't go to school here anymore I'm not obligated to address you so formally. You can call me TJ since I'm no longer a student."

Finster shook her head. "You haven't changed a bit, TJ."

TJ grinned broadly. "Sure I have. I've matured a bit more."

The elderly woman let out a snort. "I'm sure you have."

"No, really! In fact, I accidently broke a passenger window of one of the cars in the parking lot." TJ gestured over his shoulder. "Instead of running away, I decided to come and inform the owner what happened and help pay for the damage. Do you know who owns the shiny red sports car?"

"That would be Principal Prickly." Finster tapped her finger against her arm and studied the boy before her. "How did you accidently break his car window?"

TJ shrugged. "I was just kicking a stone around and I kicked too hard and it got some distance and hit the wrong target. Is Pete still here?"

"He should still be in his office. I ought to give you a detention for destroying someone's property, Detweiler."

_It's as if I never left. _TJ felt a pang of longing and managed to cover up his sadness with a lazy smile. "Good thing you can't."

He entered the school and took his time walking to Prickley's office. When he got to the wooden door with the gold plaque he rapped three times. When he was granted entrance, he pushed the door open and took a moment to stare around the place that he had spent a great deal of time in.

"TJ?" Prickly asked in surprise when he looked up from his computer. "What are you doing here?"

"I said I'd drop by for a visit." TJ plopped into the cushioned chair across from Prickly's desk. "And I thought I would inform you that I accidently broke your car window."

"YOU WHAT?"

TJ held up his hands. "Like I said, it was an accident! And I know you probably spent your life savings purchasing that sports car so I'm going to pay for the damages. It'll have to be in instalments since I only get a ten buck allowance once every two weeks."

Prickly pressed his fingers to his forehead. "I thought trouble would leave me alone when you graduated."

"I didn't mean to break it!" TJ defended. "I was just goofing around and it happened."

"Well...since I can't give you a detention, I suppose I'll thank you for telling me this instead of running away and leaving me to rant and rave into thin air." Prickly pushed his papers aside and settled back in his large black leather chair. "So, how was your first day of middle school?"

"It was alright." TJ said casually.

Prickly arched a thick black eyebrow. "You're lying."

"I am not!"

"TJ, your right hand twitches when you lie."

"No it doesn't!" TJ stared at his right hand and was amazed when it indeed gave a tiny twitch. "Man...I didn't even notice."

"I did. How do you think I always knew when you were pulling the wool over my eyes?"

"I thought it was because you had epic mind reading powers." TJ sat on his hands. "Okay, so my first day wasn't all that great."

"What happened?"

"Well, the discovery that middle school doesn't have recess was a huge bummer and no one even bothered to give us a heads up." TJ frowned accusingly at Prickly, who held up his hands in defense.

"I thought you kids knew that only elementary schools had recess. You can't be blaming that one on me."

TJ let out a sigh. "Sorry, sir. It's just been a rough day."

"I know recess means a lot to you TJ, but that can't be why your first day made you so glum."

Wondering when his old principal had gotten to know him so well, TJ hesitated before muttering, "I got detention."

Prickly shook his head and sighed. "TJ, I was hoping you'd get out of that habit."

"It's not my fault! Principal Finicky is terrible! His rule is that if you get five detentions, you're gone! And you can get a detention for breathing his air!" TJ cried.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, isn't it son?"

TJ pouted and slouched back in his chair. "Maybe it is, but I don't like the guy. He's already against me and I don't think I'll make it through the semester."

"Did you like me when you first came here?" Prickly asked, amused when TJ flushed.

"Not a first, but in kindergarten I was too young to realize that I deserved a time-out for painting the turtle orange. You're tough but fair; Finicky is just plain harsh and mean."

Prickly smiled slightly. If he knew Detweiler and his gang as well as he thought he did, then this Finicky fellow would have a long few years ahead of him. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Just try not to get expelled."

"I'll try, but I make no promises." TJ said grimly. He got up and headed for the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob as he turned slightly around. "It was great to see you again, sir."

"It was nice to see you too, TJ."

...

The door to Kelso's swung open and Spinelli glanced up from her frosty chocolate milkshake. "Hey!" She exclaimed as her best friend walked into the shop and seated himself on one of the red vinyl stools at the bar. "How'd it go?"

"Did the valiant fight for the rights of youth become victorious?" Mikey asked hopefully.

TJ fiddled with the edge of Gus' napkin. "Er...not exactly. Finicky refused to even consider instating recess."

"Seriously?" Vince cried.

Gretchen sighed heavily. "I can't say I wasn't expecting it. Finicky doesn't seem like someone who cares very much for his students. I suppose we'll have to get used to the idea of no recess."

Spinelli gasped in horror. "No way! We can't be throwing in the towel yet!"

"I...think we might have to." TJ said softly, flinching when his friends (excluding Gretchen) shot him stunned looks.

"We're...actually giving up?" Gus asked in a hushed voice, hardly daring to believe it.

"I can't go to the Board-White has it completely under his control. Finicky gave me a detention when I back-talked him and it seems like a good idea to lie low for a while. Besides, maybe this isn't as bad as we're making it out to be."

"You got a detention?" Mikey cried. "Oh, TJ!"

"I couldn't help it! He insulted Prickly and he crossed the line." TJ defended. "Look, I can't afford any more detentions. None of us can. We'll see how the next few weeks turn out. If it really is torture, then we'll do something about it. Finicky thinks we're planning a rebellion-if the conditions of middle school get less than tender, then we're gonna show him what a rebellion _really _looks like."

**Finicky better look out. The Recess Gang is ready to strike if necessary.**


	4. Uniforms? No Way!

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Uniforms? No Way!**

"Come on, Teej. Just one little prank!" Spinelli tried to convince TJ for the umpteenth time. "We can pinch a pair of Miss Callow's bloomers and run them up the flagpole, or we can set off some stink bombs in Finicky's office! It doesn't have to be anything huge!"

TJ let out a sigh and tugged his red baseball cap over his eyes. The morning sun was particularly bright and cheerful and didn't at all suit the mood he was in. "Spin, I know you're upset. I don't like the guy either. But my parents were pretty ticked when I told them about my detention and threatened to ground me if I got another one by the time the month was through."

Spinelli threw her hands up in the air. "This isn't like you! You never cared about how many detentions you got or how your parents would react. Why are you choosing _now _to buckle down and be the perfect student?"

"Five detentions, Spinelli! I already got one and it's only the second day back. With my track record I have no doubt that I'll receive a few more." TJ said firmly. "I can't afford to get expelled, and I doubt you guys want that to happen."

His companion slumped and nodded in resignation. TJ offered her a smile and they continued their walk to school in silence.

...

Gus pulled nervously at his collar as he peered at the notice taped to the glass doors leading into the main lobby of the middle school. The white piece of paper advertised an assembly for that afternoon in red block letters. "Gee, this can't be good."

"I think you're worrying over nothing, Gus." Vince said dismissively.

"But you heard TJ! He really made Finicky mad yesterday. Maybe he's going to get his revenge on us all!"

"He's a principal. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't." The athlete smiled in amusement and leaned against the cool brick building. "By the way, how did your leadership elective go?"

Gus sighed. "Alright, I suppose. No one punched me or called me names, so I consider that a plus. But no one asked for any of my opinions or input, either."

"Gus, a key point in being a leader is being assertive. Are you sure your father won't let you take anything else?"

The bespectacled boy sighed. "Nope. Trust me, I tried. But I guess one leadership class is better than two years at the Military Academy."

At that point Gretchen and Mikey joined them. Gretchen adjusted her glasses as she peered at the notice Gus had previously been reading. "Oh, dear. This does not bode well for the majority of us."

Gus shot Vince a smirk and the athlete threw his hands in the air. "Fine! If you want to be a pessimist, go right ahead."

"Sorry we're late, guys!" TJ panted as he and Spinelli ran up to meet them.

"That's quite alright, but perhaps we ought to get to homeroom before Principal Finicky slaps us all with the dreaded detention." Gretchen advised and led the way to their lockers, which were clustered together in the middle of the school.

"When's your detention?" Vince asked, shoving his backpack into the steel cubby and grabbing his books.

"After school. No lunch time detentions in this place." TJ muttered. "I wonder what he'll make me do."

"He can't be worse than Finster. Do you remember all that work she made us do when we broke that dumb statue?" Spinelli asked.

Everyone shuddered at the horrible memory. "Yes, I do. And that experience will once more be buried deep down where I hopefully will never recall it again." TJ said flatly.

"Hey, Det-Loser!"

TJ glanced at the ceiling in exasperation. "I was wondering when we would run into him." He turned around and grinned crookedly as Lawson stalked towards them. "What up?"

"Ha! I never thought I'd see the day where the Recess Gang made it to middle school in one piece." Lawson crossed his arms and smirked at them. "None of you changed."

"Hey, Lawson, my punches haven't changed either!" Spinelli threatened, her hand forming a fist. Lawson blanched at the recollection of the savage beatings the girl could dish out and backed up a few steps, hands held out.

"Whoa, chill out! I was just yanking your chain." He slid his hands into his jean pockets. "How are you maggots liking middle school?"

"It reeks." Vince said. "How did you survive a whole year with no recess?"

Lawson shrugged. "It was tough at first, but then you get used to it."

"Used to it?" Spinelli cried in outrage.

"You see, Principal Hartman allowed fifteen minute breaks. It was tough spending those minutes without a playground, but it wasn't so bad. We still got to go outside and hang around. Hartman warned us that the only break we would get in high school was lunch, but he didn't want to remove the small breaks completely. Ever since Finicky started, those fifteen minute breaks have been abolished." Lawson explained. "It sucks now."

TJ was close to boiling over. "That. Totally. WHOMPS!"

"Chill!" Lawson ordered. "Yeah, it whomps, but you heard the guy. Five detentions and you get expelled. None of you can get expelled."

"And why do you care?" Spinelli sneered.

"Why do you think? You six are the only people I know who can successfully pull off a rebellion."

"A rebellion?" Gretchen asked dubiously.

"Yeah! You gotta remember all the times you fought for the kids and even some of the adults! All of us Third Street-Ers are wondering what the plan is!"

Lawson looked at TJ expectantly. Spinelli crossed her arms and shot TJ a pointed look. The twelve-year old boy held up his hands. "Okay, time out! Look, I appreciate that my reputation continues on, but I don't have anything planned!"

Lawson gaped at him. "But...Finicky needs to be stopped!"

"He's not really doing anything!" TJ said. "He's just...being a jerk, that's all. Now, I suggest we all get to class before we all get a detention. I'll see you later Lawson."

TJ led his friends around the gobsmacked teen and towards their homeroom. TJ slid into his desk just as the bell rang. Spinelli sat beside him and pursed her lips. "How about we-?"

"_Spinelli."_

...

After homeroom they all filed into the auditorium for another assembly. TJ crossed his arms and stared at the stage in irritation. The chatter died down when Finicky walked into the middle of the stage. His soft voice carried rather well throughout the auditorium without the assistance of a microphone.

"I was rather disgusted yesterday upon seeing what you children call clothes. Jeans are atrocious enough without them hanging halfway down your backside. Some of the footwear is unbelievable-this is a middle school, not a runway. And I'm certain half of you have never seen a comb in your life."

TJ self-consciously tucked more of his shaggy brown hair underneath his red baseball cap.

"After a brief discussion with the Board, I've been allowed to install a uniform rule into this school."

Howls of protest rang out and were instantly silenced when Finicky hissed, _"Silence!"_

"You can all bring your order forms home and have your parents fill them out and enclose payment. I will expect them on my desk no later than three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. If money is an issue, approach me in my office after this presentation is over.

"First, I'm going to go over the uniform rules. Shirts and skirts _will _be ironed, shoes _will _be shined and hair _will _be either cut to an appropriate length or gelled. There will be no bright ties or colours, and no nail polish or tattoos or piercings other than ears. If any of these rules are broken you will get a detention. Dismissed."

Grumbling kids shuffled for the exit. Spinelli put her hands on her hips and glared at TJ. "Either you start planning or I start throwing punches!"

TJ scowled and yanked his cap over his eyes. "I'm thinkin', I'm thinkin'!"

...

The end of the school day came much quicker than TJ wanted it to. He approached the detention room and hesitantly slid into one of the hard wooden seats. Finicky entered moments later and sneered at him. "I'm surprised you didn't throw a tantrum after my announcement today, Detweiler."

_I wanted to..._TJ thought bitterly.

"For the record, that disgusting cap of yours will no longer be allowed when the uniforms arrive."

"Why uniforms, sir?" TJ asked, one hand hovering protectively over his red baseball cap.

"I've found that if children are dressed like slobs they will perform as slobs. Uniforms should urge them to perform better." Finicky said curtly as he scribbled something on the blackboard.

_Clothes aren't what influence our performance level! _TJ wanted to shout.

Finicky stepped away from the blackboard and gestured towards the white chalk writing. "_I will not talk back to my principal or any other adult in this school. _I want it written one hundred times. You do not leave until it is complete."

Fuming, TJ pulled out a pencil from his bag and hastily started scribbling it out. Oh yes, Finicky had made himself a formidable enemy.

...

"I think uniforms are a wonderful idea!" Mrs. Detweiler exclaimed as she filled out the information on the form. It was well past dinnertime when TJ arrived home with a sore hand and started inhaling the cold leftover roast beef.

"It's a stupid idea!" TJ snapped.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you think because it's happening." Teresa Detweiler said sternly. "And you're going to follow it like everyone else. Understood?"

"Understood," he bitterly replied and shoved a spoonful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. He would follow the stupid dress code...until he came up with a plan, that is.

And TJ Detweiler always had a plan.


	5. Finicky Revolution Begins

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Finicky Revolution Begins**

It had finally arrived.

TJ stood at the foot of his bed and stared blankly at the lumpy brown package. His mother had carried it cheerfully up to him and gushed about how cute he would look when he put it on. He knew instantly what it was, and was not happy about it.

His computer _pinged,_ signalling he had gotten a message. TJ groaned and reluctantly shuffled over to his slim white laptop and glanced at what Spinelli had sent him.

_**Spin22 has sent you a message:**_

_Teej! What's the plan? I look like...I look like...I LOOK LIKE AN ASHLEY, TJ! You said you were thinking of a plan, so tell me right now! I can't wait any longer!_

TJ knew that Spinelli despised her first name, as it was the strongest connection to the Ashley's as you could get. True, Spinelli had managed to avoid the pink, perfume-scented doom cloud of the preppy, snobby girls, but they never let Spinelli hear the end of it.

He sat down at his computer chair and tapped his fingers against the hard wooden desk. Yes, he had thought long and hard last night about what his plan might be and had finally come up with one. He was wary about putting it into action though.

But it seemed Spinelli would tear his head off if he just sat back and let Finicky walk all over them.

_**Sending Spin22 a message:**_

_Okay, here's the deal: we're going to convince everyone at T.T Middle School to violate the dress code. Colourful ties, tattoos, scruffy sneakers, anything! If we manage to pull this off, then we can get a victory over this guy. He can't give the entire school detention at the same time, and it would forever to sort them all out. If we keep doing it, then he'll either give in or let us wear whatever we want with our uniforms, which I suppose is good enough._

_Problem: I need to send a viral message to all of T.T and keep it anonymous so nobody can trace this scheme back to me. Any ideas?_

Spinelli's reply came almost instantly.

_**Spin22 has sent you a message:**_

_Sweet! A plan, finally! And DUH TJ. Have you forgotten about our resident genius and best friend, Gretchen Grundler? The girl who can build robots and is invited to science conventions across the state? If anyone can send an anonymous message to hundreds of people, it's her._

TJ slapped his forehead, inwardly scolding himself. How could he have forgotten the intellect of Gretchen? His fingers flew across the keyboard as he quickly sent her a message. The digital numbers on the bottom of his computer screen told him his mother would be coming up to check his homework and send him to bed. The last thing he wanted was for her to stumble upon his planned revolution.

_**Sending a message to BrainyGirl44:**_

_Hey, Gretch! I was wondering if you could do me a small favour...see, I need an anonymous message sent out to all the students of T.T and I don't my name attached to it or anything...and I don't want the possibility of the message being traced to you or anyone else._

_Can you manage something like that?_

_**BrainyGirl44 has sent you a message:**_

_I suppose I could send the message around the internet before bouncing it to the intended recipients. It should take me a few hours to do. Of course, I will need to know the message you would like sent out._

_**Sending a message to BrainyGirl44:**_

_Dear students of Thaddeus T. Middle School,_

_I am aware that it has been about three days since we've returned to the administration of education. In those three days, Principal Finicky has become intolerable and it's clear that he's going to get worse as the year progresses. This uniform rule is the beginning of a tyrannical principal, and we must stop it as soon as we can._

_For those of you who agree with me join in the Uniform Revolution. Wear as many colourful ties, shoelaces, socks and hats as you possibly can. Stick in large groups so Finicky cannot charge two or three in detention at a time. Let him see the many who are against this and the many who are willing to take a stand._

_And for those of you who are terrified of Finicky and do not wish to get on his bad side, I understand. I will not sneer or scowl at you, and those that do should have some respect for other people. _

_This event will take place two days from now. I encourage you all to take part in the Finicky Revolution._

_It has begun._

_Sincerely,_

_Fed Up with Finicky._

_**BrainyGirl44 has sent you a message:**_

_Ah, I should have known. I personally, am not against wearing such clothing, but I do agree that restricting freedom of expression is wrong. I must say, I am impressed by the wording of your message. You speech skills have grown tremendously._

_**Sending a message to BrainyGirl44:**_

_Thanks! I figure that if I want to make my speeches more convincing, I should widen my vocabulary. Thank goodness for the Thesaurus! It really came in handy._

_Thanks, Gretch! You rock._

_**BrainyGirl44 has sent you a message:**_

_I know. Goodnight, TJ. I shall have the message sent out in a few hours._

TJ deleted his messages just in case his sister decided to hunt for some dirt on him (she always ended up figuring out his password, no matter how many times he changed it) and closed the laptop lid down with a smile. He had never really thought of it before, but his friends really did make up the best team ever.

You had Gretchen, who could figure out anything and always had a solution for a problem when TJ did not. Spinelli was a force to be reckoned with and took up leadership when he couldn't. Vince was a great athlete and could climb almost anything. Mikey had strength not even Vince could match and Gus, thanks to his military upbringing, was a great lookout and was small enough to fit through narrow windows and air vents.

But, in TJ's opinion, the most important fact was that they were all his faithful, loyal best friends.

...

"This sucks," Spinelli grumbled as they walked into T.T Middle School, their polished dress shoes clacking against the tiled floors. She stared in dismay at her crisp black skirt that reached her knees and greatly missed her stockings. The very worst was that her short black hair was straightened an inch of its life to make it lie flat instead of sticking out.

Her hair was hardly a problem when she had her beanie...

TJ was having a similar problem. He refused to have his shaggy brown hair cut off and so spent the majority of his morning in the bathroom, slicking gel in his unruly hair and pushing it back. He was in there for so long, his sister actually had to pound on the door for the first time in their sibling rivalry and demand he get out.

But for him, the absence of his red baseball cap was the hardest.

A cloud of misery hung over the middle school. Even the Ashley's, who adored the preppy style, were disgusted that they couldn't accessorize properly. The only people who looked remotely comfortable in their uniform were Gus and Gretchen.

"TJ, why couldn't we do this whole revolution thing _today_?" Spinelli hissed to him at lunch, stabbing her salad with vicious force.

TJ shushed her hastily and glanced around. No seemed to overhear them. Turning back around, he gave Spinelli an irritated glance. Spinelli sighed heavily and muttered an apology.

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Gus voiced nervously. "I mean, what if you get found out?"

"I won't." TJ said confidently. He pointed his fork at Gretchen. "I put the best girl on the job."

Gretchen beamed with pleasure. "It was nothing, really. I can assure you, Gus that TJ is perfectly safe from being discovered."

"Well, that's good, but what if we're the only ones who defy the dress code tomorrow?" Gus pressed. He really didn't mind joining TJ's plan-so long as the rest of the school joined in as well. If he got in trouble, his father would certainly ship him off to the Military Academy.

Where he would be facing Gellman...

"I think it's great that we stand up for the rights of students and the freedom of expression!" Mikey said earnestly. "We could really make a difference!"

Gus sighed heavily and stared at his tray. "Yeah, a difference to my permanent record..."

...

TJ, however, didn't have any doubts. As he walked through the halls the faces of depressed, miserable and furious students greeted him from every angle. No one was happy about the uniform rule and TJ was certain they would be happy to assist him in his grand plan. And if there was one thing TJ knew, it was that there no force like a horde of angry teenagers.

The next morning he awoke before anyone else and dressed in the dumb collared shirt and neat black pants, but he also threw on his scruffy sneakers and treasured baseball cap over his shaggy brown hair. He slipped out of the house before his mother could spot him and wandered over to meet Spinelli.

The tomboy was waiting on the corner of her street for him, her spiky black hair stuck underneath her beloved beanie. Stockings were added to her usual uniform along with her favourite pair of boots. It had been decided that the gang would meet at Kelso's before heading off to school.

Eventually, everyone arrived. Vince had his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his sweat bands stood out. Gus managed to slip on a pair of sneakers after his father's daily inspection and his pants were rolled up at the cuffs. Mikey had ditched the uniform coat and tie altogether and kept the white shirt, where the top two buttons were undone. Gretchen actually wore a pair of jeans along with her dress shirt, and also wore some colourful bracelets and necklaces.

TJ grinned at them all in approval and they set off for T.T Middle School. Gus tugged at his shirt nervously, hoping beyond hope that they weren't the only ones defying Principal Finicky.

A relieved sigh escaped his throat when they approached the front lawn. Colourful hair stood out to him, and many mismatched dress shirts with jeans and sneakers or dress pants and skirts with T-shirts, hoodies and sweaters. The Ashley's had gone all out, having their nails painted and adorned with sparkly, dangly earrings and necklaces and high-heels.

Lawson walked by at that moment, his blue baseball cap mimicking TJ's. He shot a quick wink at the group before continuing on his way.

Indeed, it seemed that the entire population of Thaddeus T. Middle School was taking a stand. Many were relieved that they weren't alone in this revolution and stuck together in large groups.

Gus chuckled. Leave it to TJ to successfully unite an entire school against one person.

TJ surveyed the lawn with satisfied eyes and quickly grew indifferent when Principal Finicky stormed out, his face red. He stared at every student before finally spotting TJ and his friends. Their expressions gave nothing away, but he knew this was there doing.

No one else could have urged over five hundred kids into disobeying him.

Now was the question of how to punish everybody, how to nail the troublesome brats and how to regain order-order he knew he had lost to a twelve-year old kid.

_But, _he thought darkly. _Only temporarily._

**Sorry for the wait, guys! **

**Yup, the war on Finicky has begun xD If you have inputs or suggestions; I enjoy hearing them and will do my best to incorporate them! **

**I hope you like this chapter, I wrote during a severe bout of writers block :P**


	6. Strike Two

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Strike Two**

"This. Whomps." Spinelli declared darkly. She threw her math textbook across the wooden library table in fury.

"_Finicky can't possible give the entire school detention,_" Vince did a poor imitation of TJ. "Maybe not dude, but he can definitely increase the homework load by about two-hundred percent."

TJ yanked his red baseball cap over his eyes in irritation. He supposed he should have been suspicious when Finicky calmly told the student body that uniforms would no longer be instated. But he was too busy being delighted by the fact his plan had worked.

Well, Finicky seemed to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

About a week after the incident, when everyone was starting to get cheerful again, Finicky called for _another _school-wide assembly.

TJ hated those assemblies.

"Double the amount of homework until someone comes forward and rats out the ringleader." Spinelli said in disgust as she stared at her half-finished worksheet. "I'm surprised Randal hasn't jumped forward."

Gretchen shrugged. "He has no proof. In order to successfully punish a student for such an event you need evidence that said person was indeed the culprit."

"Why would Principal Finicky do this to us?" Mikey asked, drowning in a sea of English homework-none of which had anything to do with poetry.

"Because he's a big jerk who hates kids." Vince responded dryly. He fiddled with the pages of his history textbook before turning to Gretchen in hopes that she would hand over some of her answers. The withering glare she shot him as he inched his fingers towards her paper caused him to recoil.

The gang had lugged all of their homework to the library. It was a practice they had been doing for the past week. Although their fellow Third-Streeters knew TJ had concocted the whole event the majority of them liked TJ enough and didn't rat him out. Those who did not like him couldn't really do anything; as Gretchen had pointed out they needed proof to punish TJ.

"I think I might give myself up at this rate." TJ flicked an eraser across the table. "I can't even look at a Spanish exercise sheet anymore."

"You do that and you're going to get a detention," Gus warned. "Two detentions in the matter of almost two weeks."

"And with all due respect there's no way you can make to the end of the year without getting at least another two," Vince added.

TJ threw his hands in the air. "Then what do you propose I do?"

Gretchen tapped her pencil against the edge of the table top. "At this point there really isn't anything. Eventually the students will get annoyed and start complaining to their parents and perhaps even the School Board."

"I can't handle much more of this." Spinelli moaned.

"Do not fret, Spinelli." Mikey soothed. "Good things come to those who wait."

Gus sighed heavily. "I hope we don't have to wait long. My brain is going to explode if I have to do anymore homework."

"Have you even started the twelve-page essay on organic matter?" Vince asked.

With a moan of agony Gus slammed his head off of the table.

"I'd take that as a no," TJ muttered.

...

The next morning TJ stumbled into school. His backpack weighed him down and sweat ran down his face. It had taken many hours and a lot of soda but he had managed to finish all of his homework. The quality of it was to be debated.

"Good morning, Detweiler."

TJ quelled the urge to roll his eyes. "Good morning sir," he managed to say politely.

Finicky studied him for a moment. "That seems like a heavy load. It could be lifted if someone came forward and admitted to their crime."

"Are you accusing me of something sir?" TJ asked.

"Not at all. I just think that it's unfair for _everyone _to pay the price when one person was responsible for organizing it."

"No one was forced into doing anything sir."

Finicky stared at him. "Young minds are easily convinced, Detweiler. You should know."

TJ kept his stare even. "I have to get to class. I wouldn't want to receive another detention."

Finicky held his gaze for a long moment. "No, I suppose you wouldn't."

The twelve-year old departed with a curt nod. His stomach was jumping with nerves at the confrontation. He reminded himself that Finicky only _suspected _he was behind the uniform-protest. There was no evidence that condemned him.

He was fine.

...

"_Theodore Detweiler, Ashley Spinelli and Gretchen Grundler to Principal Finicky's office now please."_

The announcement was repeated before the PA system shut off. The three students who had been summoned exchanged nervous glances.

"How come you guys have to go to the office?" Gus asked anxiously, momentarily distracted from his lunch.

TJ tugged at his jacket sleeve. "I'm not sure."

"Taking in account that the three of us exchanged messages a couple of days before the protest, I would assume that we have, shall I say, been found out." Gretchen predicted solemnly.

"And their proof would be...?" Spinelli drawled.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to go find out." TJ said firmly. "And remember, deny everything."

Spinelli and Gretchen saluted TJ and the trio set off. Vince, Gus and Mikey watched them depart in concern. "Will they be okay?"

"Hopefully. TJ can't afford anymore detentions." Vince stabbed his lasagne with his fork. "You know, I'm starting to think we should just give up."

"But we can't!" Mikey cried. "We must fight for the rights of our fellow peers. We must fight for our freedom. We must fight for our individuality! We must fight for fairness!"

Vince snorted and glanced at the spots his friends had just vacated. "Yeah, well, by the time the year is through I'm gonna be fighting for _my _freedom-if I get expelled, my parents are going to ground me for _life_."

...

TJ rapped on the wooden door and Finicky granted them entrance. Keeping their faces blank the three students entered his office. TJ let the girls sit in the two chairs and stood in front of Finicky's desk, his posture stiff and unyielding.

Finicky tapped his fingers on his desk. "I do not tolerate disobedience. When that school-wide protest occurred I knew it was not an act for student's rights but an attack against my authority."

TJ bit back an argument. The protest had very much been about their rights. It was only slightly personal against Finicky.

"I have read the files on all of the students in this school. The ones of you and your other three friends stood out the most. You were in charge of Third Street when you attended. The teachers bended to your will and everyone did what you said."

Spinelli scowled. That information was grossly inaccurate. But when Gretchen shot her a glare as she opened her mouth to speak the Italian-American fell silent.

"I immediately suspected you when I saw that the entire school had openly ignored the uniform policy. I had to remove it. The Board demanded it. I hoped that increasing the homework load would send a few students to me and I would know for sure who the cause was. But it didn't happen. So I contacted your parents to see if they believed you capable of such a thing. They were appalled. They said that you were good kids and would never defy authority so severely."

Finicky leaned forwards, his eyes glinting. "In fact, they were so confident that you were perfect angels that they even gave me permission to check your messages. After all, they said, the children have nothing to hide."

Gretchen closed her eyes. The messaging site that the six friends used required an e-mail address and a username. Mikey was forever forgetting his e-mail passwords and so they had found a site that would not require one.

Their parents were respectful enough not to go snooping. But just in case they deleted the messages.

Everyone but Gretchen, that is.

TJ stared in dismay at the glowing computer screen Finicky indicated. Sure enough, it showed the messages exchanged between himself, Spinelli and Gretchen those few days before the protest.

_Busted._

**Sorry about the wait!**

**Yeah, it's a short chapter. And I couldn't think of another way for the three to get busted so I used a half-brained idea xD**


	7. A Sneak in the Shadows

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**A Sneak in the Shadows**

Assemblies.

TJ _despised _assemblies.

He sat stiff and unmoving, Finicky's words tumbling around his mind. Spinelli and Gretchen sat on both sides of him. They hadn't spoken to each other since Finicky declared that they would get three detentions each. Three detentions for defying his orders and using 'peer pressure' against their peers.

Three whomping detentions.

"You have all been terribly stubborn these past few weeks," Finicky said softly as he surveyed them from the podium. "No one came forward to divulge the culprits of the uniform protest. So I had to punish all of you. But rest assured the culprits have been found out and properly punished. The increase in homework will continue for your un-cooperation for the next two weeks. Perhaps next time you will realize who is in charge of this school."

The bell trilled, signalling the end of the school day. Finicky gave a curt nod and the children slowly got up and filed out the double doors. Everyone shot TJ sympathetic looks and Gus, Mikey and Vince glanced in worry at their three friends before following the crowd. TJ, Spinelli and Gretchen would walk home an hour later.

They had detention to complete.

...

"Four detentions."

TJ uttered these two words as the three walked home after detention. Their hands ached from the amount of scrubbing they had done to the school floors. "I have four detentions," the boy repeated. "It's only two weeks into the school year. One more detention and I get expelled."

"We wouldn't have even gotten detention if little Miss Brainiac had _deleted _the messages." Spinelli sneered.

Gretchen scowled. "I save everything on my computer for my own purpose. I kept those messages in case I needed to refer back to them."

"For _what_?" TJ couldn't help but cry. "What possible purpose could those dumb messages have served in the future? When the protest was _over_?"

Gretchen bristled. "I don't know! It's extremely hard to break a habit once you've gotten into one! I _always _save and keep everything. I couldn't just delete a series of messages in that one instant just willy-nilly! I don't do that!"

"Well, start!" Spinelli snapped. "Or else you're going to get us expelled by next week!"

"Excuse me?" Gretchen snapped indigently. "I believe _you _were the one pressuring TJ to do something about Finicky. We would all be relatively detention free if you weren't so impatient and bossy."

"Just because you can wear boring and unoriginal clothes all the time doesn't mean the rest of us can." Spinelli growled.

TJ sighed heavily. "Come on guys, knock it off."

"But she's blaming me for landing us in hot water!" Spinelli protested.

"Only because you accused me first!"

The two girls started arguing again, their shouts becoming louder and the insults started flying. TJ rubbed his forehead and tried meekly to interject but his mind was too busy reminding him that he was one detention away from expulsion to really do anything.

"STOP!"

The sharp cry was so familiar that Gretchen and Spinelli instantly fell silent and stood at attention. Principal Prickly was leaning out the window, the stern expression they were so accustomed to locked on them. The three had been so involved in snipping and worrying that they failed to notice they had stopped in front of Third Street School.

"What in Sam Hill is wrong with you three?" Prickly demanded. "I don't think I've ever heard you snap at each other like that in all the years I've known you."

"We've had a rough day," TJ said tiredly. "And we're going to be in for a rough night once our parents get their hands on us."

Spinelli let out a moan of despair.

"Well, I got a pile of paperwork I don't feel like doing. And I think you need to cool down before you go anywhere else."

The three kids climbed over the chain-link fence (despite Prickly's protests) and trooped over to their former principal's window.

"Use the door." Prickly said firmly. Spinelli rolled her eyes as he slammed the window shut and locked it.

"He hasn't changed." She muttered and they took the long (and not so fun) way to his office.

"Now," Prickly began as his three former students filed into his office. "What's with all the shouting? Some people are trying to work."

Spinelli crossed her arms. "We've got reason to shout. We got detention."

TJ shrunk back as Prickly looked at him in disbelief. "TJ, two detentions in two weeks? That _has _to be some sort of record."

"I tried!" TJ protested, feeling no need to correct him. "I really did try to be good. But then he put in a dress code."

"And you can bet _that _didn't go over well." Gretchen muttered.

"What did you kids do?" Prickly asked warily. He was well used to their schemes and knew what they were capable of.

"We simply urged the students of our school to exercise their right of free expression." Gretchen answered. "We didn't expect the entire school to violate the dress code nor did we force them to."

"And Finicky piled on the homework until someone ratted us out. We were smooth sailing until he got evidence on us." Spinelli glared at Gretchen. "_Someone _forgot to clean their inbox."

"It's not my fault!" Gretchen cried.

"If you would have deleted those messages we wouldn't have gotten _three whomping detentions_!" Spinelli shrieked.

"Three detentions?" Prickly stared at a sheepish TJ. "That means you have four detentions."

"Yeah," TJ muttered. "I'm not happy about it."

Prickly whistled softly. "I wish you luck, son. You're going to need it."

...

When the three kids got home their parents were waiting.

TJ was threatened with life grounding if he got expelled. His mother was furious and banned him from going anywhere for two weeks.

Spinelli's mother gave a stern warning, along with taking away her comics and forbidding her from watching wrestling.

And Gretchen was not allowed to get another detention. If she did, she could forget taking a trip to see the space museum.

It was a rough night for them all.

...

The next morning found TJ, Spinelli and Gretchen alone by the front of the school. They had left extra early as to avoid any more lecturing from their parents. The three friends sat in silence in the front grass.

"I'm sorry," Spinelli said gruffly, breaking the silence. "I was mad that we got caught. I shouldn't have blamed you, Gretchen."

"I'm sorry too." Gretchen said sincerely. "I should have been more careful."

"I'm sorry for planning the stupid protest." TJ grumbled. "Now I have nine months left of school and I need to be the model student during that time."

"Well, let's just make it through the day without incident." Gretchen said.

...

The first class for Gretchen and Vince was history. They handed in their twelve page essays and Miss Daisy collected them with a slight frown on her face. When the first bell rang and announcements had ended, Miss Daisy looked at them all. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm tired of marking your stuff. And I bet you're tired of doing it. So you can expect no homework from this class from now on."

The class cheered.

"All I want you to do today is read chapter three of your textbook. Maybe make some notes. You have the entire class to do so."

Vince grinned and clapped an exhausted Gretchen on the back. "Come on, I know its rough getting three detentions in one go. But let's enjoy this moment."

Gretchen smiled. "I guess you're right. This year, we might as well enjoy every little happy moment that happens."

Huddled at the back of the classroom, where Gretchen and Vince never noticed him, was Randall Weems.

And with a devilish smirk, the boy decided to pay a visit at the principal's office after class.

He had finally found the perfect piece of dirt that would make him the principal's official sneak.

**I figure Randall would want to be the principal's sneak more than anything. He was just waiting for the right moment to do so. **

**I guess you could consider this a filler chapter xD Hopefully it gets better from here.**


	8. Vince Takes Action

**I do not own Recess...or Mary Janes.**

**Vince Takes Action**

The bell rang, signifying the end of the day. Kids tiredly trudged through the hallways, their bags loaded down with what they deemed 'punishment work'. Randall hung by his locker, lazily putting books in his backpack while waiting for the crowd to thin out. When the hallway that the principal's office was located in was empty, he confidently strode up to the door and knocked purposefully.

"Enter," a curt voice answered.

Randall pushed open the door. "Hello, sir. How are you today?"

"I have no time for kiss-ups, boy." Finicky snapped. "So unless you have something worthwhile to say, I suggest you leave now."

"Alright," Randall shrugged carelessly. "I just thought you'd want to know that Miss Daisy refuses to give us students homework."

Finicky stared. "Oh really?"

"Yeah. But if you're not interested-"

"On the contrary. I find this to be _very _interesting. But I do question why you'd come tell me this."

Randall smiled. "I happen to be concerned for the students of her class, including myself. No homework means there's no chance to grow as individuals, to challenge ourselves."

Finicky arched an eyebrow. "I see. I appreciate this bit of information, and I'll certainly keep an eye on Miss Daisy. What's your name, boy?"

Randall lifted his head proudly. "Randall. Randall Weems."

"Ah." Understanding crossed the man's pale face. "From Third Street, correct?"

"That's right sir."

"Well Randall, if you happen to hear about similar occurrences happening, I would like to hear about them."

A grin curled across Randall's face. "It would be my pleasure, sir."

...

"Are the two weeks over yet?" TJ asked with a moan, his backpack nearly dragging him down.

"We've got one more day to go." Gus panted. The six friends were walking home. Their library homework meetings were postponed until TJ was no longer grounded. And the leader couldn't wait to be free. He was in need of a trip to Kelso's to ease the stress.

"I wish I was in your history class." Spinelli grumbled in the direction of Vince and Gretchen. "That's probably the only class in the school that doesn't have homework."

"I just hope Finicky doesn't hear about it." Vince said.

TJ snorted. "I doubt it. What kid is going rat out Miss Daisy to Finicky? That's only going to mean _more _homework! I'm sick of that word, _homework_."

"Hey, it's like Gus said." Mikey said optimistically. "There's only one more day of this left."

"And about 158 left of the school year." Gretchen sighed. "But so long as we can behave until then, we should be fine."

"And hopefully Principal Hartman returns for next year." Spinelli said. "That guy is great!"

"I'm just hoping Finicky doesn't pull any more stunts." TJ said feelingly. "I don't know how much more I can take."

...

The first of October rolled around, and this symbolized the last day of receiving 'punishment work'. Regular homework would start again, with a few sheets here and there along with some reading and an essay or two.

When Vince and Gretchen entered their history class, it was to see Finicky standing rigidly at the front of the room. Suddenly sick with dread, the two friends collapsed into their seats just as the bell rang. Finicky stared around the room for a long moment before speaking.

"You are likely wondering where Miss Daisy is. I can freely say she will no longer be teaching here at Thaddeus T. Middle School due to poor job performance."

A loud protest rose up in Vince's throat but a jab from Gretchen caused him to keep his mouth shut. No one in the room wanted to tick off Principal Finicky.

"Until a replacement is found, I will be your teacher. You can expect no lenience from me. Now open your textbooks to page thirty. Read the chapter, and prepare an outline for a ten-page paper due in three days. Begin."

Vince and Gretchen exchanged helpless looks.

It was never ending.

...

"You're kidding!" TJ exclaimed, hardly believing what Vince was saying.

"It's true, man." Vince stabbed his spaghetti in anger. Although the wind was chilly the six friends continued to eat outside in the courtyard. It was the only exposure to the outside they got during the long seven-hour school day. "Somehow Finicky found out about Miss Daisy and her no homework and fired her! For _poor job performance!_ She's the coolest teacher in this place!"

"_Was _the coolest teacher in this place." Gretchen corrected solemnly. "We now have Finicky to deal with."

"Nuh-uh." Vince narrowed his eyes. "I draw the line. What Finicky did to Miss Daisy was completely unfair. I'm getting her back."

"Are you nuts?" Spinelli asked incredulously. "The guy is still hopping mad after the whole uniform thing. He'll probably expel you on the spot if you do anything!"

"It's a risk I'm going to have to take." Vince crossed his arms. "But...I'm going to need some help."

TJ held up his hands in protest. "Vince, I would love to, but if I get expelled my mom's gonna lock me up in the basement for the rest of my life."

"That's a bit of an exaggeration." Gretchen arched an eyebrow. "Alright, Vince. I'll help. So long as we don't get caught."

Spinelli snickered. "You'll be just fine if you delete any and all messages."

Gretchen gave the girl a withering look. "Will you ever let that go?"

"Maybe one day."

"Anyone else?" Vince looked at Gus pointedly. The boy arched an eyebrow.

"Why me?" He complained.

"Because I need someone small to fit through the window of Finicky's office." Vince answered.

"Whoa!" TJ made a 'T' with his hands. "Time out. That's a bit extreme, don't you think?"

"What are you going to do?" Spinelli asked eagerly.

Vince smiled. "I'm going to do something Finicky can't punish anyone over. We have the freedom of speech, right?"

"Wonderfully so." Mikey smiled.

"And peaceful protest fits under that, right?" Vince pressed. Gretchen tapped her chin in thought.

"I believe so, as long as said protest is for a worthwhile cause or event."

"And Miss Daisy got fired under unfair and petty circumstances." Vince said. "That's a decent enough cause to throw a protest."

"But what am I supposed to do in Finicky's office?" Gus asked uneasily.

Vince grinned. "I want to know when the Superintendent is coming next for a visit."

"Tender." TJ said with approval. "Throw the protest when the big guy is here. Nice move."

"When do you want to me to sneak in?" Gus asked resignedly.

Vince checked his watch. "Right now."

"What?!" Gus cried.

"Well, for all we know, the Superintendent could be coming tomorrow. We need to know." Vince got up. "Gretch, can you use your laptop to make sure we won't get caught on the security system?"

"I've been turned into a hacker." Gretchen sighed.

"You're the one who kept reading those books on it." Vince returned as he ushered Gus away. "Might as well put that knowledge to use."

"Just because I read books on the subject does mean I intended to become the subject." Gretchen muttered as she set her laptop up. "Spinelli, can you keep watch? Just in case."

"Sure thing." Spinelli put down her sandwich and kept her eyes peeled. "The last thing we need is Randall to pop his ugly head around here."

"Yeah...Randall." TJ repeated, brow furrowing in thought. The snitch had not made a peep in a month.

And that never meant anything good.

...

Vince and Gus crept over to the window leading to the principal's office. Vince peered over the sill and immediately ducked down. "He's in there! _With Randall!_"

"Oh well. We tried. Let's go back-" Gus tried to head back to the courtyard but Vince placed a hand on his arm. His eyes were locked on Lawson, who was a few yards away and staring at them oddly. Vince waved him over.

"What are you losers doing?" Lawson asked softly as he crouched down next to them.

"You heard about Miss Daisy getting fired, right?"

"Duh! Everyone knows about that." Lawson scoffed. "She was the greatest teacher in this dump."

"Well, we're going to get her back. But I need a distraction."

Lawson smirked. "Why kind of distraction?"

"How many detentions have you racked up?" Vince asked.

"None." Lawson grinned at Vince's surprised face. "My ma would kill me if I got expelled. No point in risking it by picking on dweebs like you."

"Well, you may have to risk one. Are you willing to start a fight outside the principal's office?"

"I think I could handle it." Lawson got up. "But you owe me one."

He jogged off and the two boys waited. After a few minutes, they could hear muffled yelling coming from outside the principal's door. Evidently Finicky heard it as well, because he and Randall rushed into the hallway seconds later, the door slamming shut behind them. Vince heaved open the window and pushed Gus through. "Be quick!"

Gus tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. He cautiously searched through the drawers of Finicky's desk, his sleeve covering his hand just to be safe. It wouldn't surprise Gus if the man had a fingerprint finding kit in his office.

A small black book caught his attention. It looked like the one his mom used to track appointments and important dates. He picked it up and flipped through it before finding what he wanted.

The doorknob rattled and Gus froze.

"Darn!" Finicky snapped from outside. "I locked myself out. Where's my key...?"

Gus hastily put the book back exactly where he found it and gently closed the drawer. He ran over to the window and practically dove out, slamming into Vince as he did so.

"What's the matter?" Vince hissed, pushing Gus off of him.

Gus quickly shut the window, making sure not leave behind greasy fingerprints on the glass. A second later Finicky opened the door and dragged Lawson inside.

"Let's go!" A pale Gus hissed and the two boys ran back to the courtyard.

Upon seeing her two friends arrive Gretchen fixed the damage she had done to the security system and cleared all history (mostly because of Spinelli's nagging). She shut her laptop down and placed it back in her bag. "How'd it go?"

"Good." Vince smiled. "Lawson was our distraction, so I owe him one, but it's not that bad."

Spinelli wrinkled her nose. "If you say so."

"So, when's the big guy coming?" TJ asked.

"October 10th." Gus moaned, the adrenaline and fear still pumping through his body.

"Perfect. I have nine days to spread the word." Vince leaned back in his seat. "Oh, and we saw Randall in Finicky's office."

"I figured as much." TJ frowned. "Without Finster he needed someone new to snitch to."

"We're not going to let him get away with it, are we?" Spinelli asked with narrowed eyes.

"No, but that revenge will have to go on the backburner for now." TJ rested his chin in his hands. "But we'll get him. He won't even know what hit him."

Vince grinned. "And neither will Finicky."

**Vince has had enough xD And Randall better watch out ;)**


End file.
